Hope
by Frosti1212
Summary: Lame title i know. This is basically a combination of the episodes Return of the Overlord and Rise of the Spinjitzu Master, with a bit of an epilogue. Hints of KaixLloyd, and some GarmadonxMisako towards the end. Please R&R! Rated T for blood and mild language.


A.N: Ugh, again I know I should be working on The Little Green Hero, but I couldn't get this idea out of my head! I feel like it isn't very good, but oh well. So, here you go! I added some things, and removed stuff, blah blah blah. If you didn't like it then don't review! Combination of the episodes Return of the Overlord and Rise of the Spinjitzu Master, along with some Garmadon, Lloyd and Misako moments afterwards. Hints of KaixLloyd. Thanks, and, read on!

**Lloyd's POV:**

Inside, I felt like I would vomit. My dad was just possessed by the Overlord, we were hopelessly outnumbered by the stone army, and if I didn't do something quick then the balance would be overthrown. It was then I knew I couldn't let that happen. I looked at Sensei, and he smiled. Reinvigorated, I flung myself on top of the Garmatron and glared at the Overlord.

"This, ends, NOW!" I declared confidently. I would NOT let this guy win. "Foolish boy. I've been planning this, for thousands of years!" "EAT GREEN!" And I shot an energy beam straight for him. I heard Jay's words of encouragement as the Overlord punched me in the chest, sending me off the Garmatron and onto the shore. Regaining my bearings, I noticed the Overlord fly himself off the Garmatron, which reminded me of Iron Man for some reason, **(sorry I had to. Lol. ;-) ) **And held a fighting stance.

We clashed with energy beams once more, and I tried my best to avoid his attacks. The others, Mom, Sensei, and the 4 ninja, all were watching me. They all were counting on me. I promised myself that I would not fail them.

I noticed an opening for a shot, so I took it. I fired an energy beam at his chest and shot him to the other side of the island. I thought that would do it and I heard Jay scream "YES!" Grinning, I looked at everyone else, who all seemed happy. But, somehow I felt like it was too easy of a victory.

I was proven correct when I saw the Overlord rise up from the treetops and charging straight for me. I knew that I couldn't just get out of the way, he would just follow me, and so I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact. It wasn't so bad, but it hit me in the chest, which really hurt. Shakily, I got up and faced the Overlord as he cackled. "The battle for good and evil. I could do this for eternity, but can YOU?" He pointed a sharp claw at me as I looked at the sand, trying to avoid his gaze. "Your friends can't help you now, you, are all, alone!"

It was then that I realized something. Trying to seem confident, even though I wanted more than ever to leave, I said: "No, I'm not! My father is still in you, he won't fight with me!" I knew that this was right, Dad would never want to hurt me, and he hated it when I was harmed. For a brief moment, I saw Dad and he called my name. "Lloyd! Stay strong!" I was so happy, so relieved that my dad was trying to break free for me, I almost cried. Barely audible, I whispered: "_I will. I promise." _

The Overlord took back control, and, glaring at me, cried: "Fool! You cannot defeat me!" In response, I shot yet another energy beam, and then charged over. I kicked and punched, trying to distract him, when, in anger, he raked his claws against my face. Well, THAT hurt. My vision blurred as I staggered backwards. He shot another beam at me and I, trying to ignore the pain that he inflicted, shot one as well. "Fight father!" I shouted. I KNEW that my father could win; he could fight against this guy. I just needed to give him some incentive as to why. I did see my father, struggling against the Overlord's control. Blood was streaming down my face, draining my strength. My vision kept on blurring, and I tried to focus. "You will not take my son!" he shouted. You tell him Dad!

Then I didn't see him. No…no no NO! Dad, please, I need you now more than ever. I turned my attention back to the monster that stood before me. "Your father is…gone." Before I could protest this, he shot a beam at me. I couldn't react fast enough, and soon, I felt a burning and agonizing pain shoot into my chest. I rose into the air, trapped by a sphere of energy. The pain in my chest and the blood draining from my face was unbearable. I felt myself spinning, and then I was flung away.

I landed hard on my stomach. Pain like hot steel shot up my leg. I wanted to get up, but I didn't have the energy. Carefully, I tried sitting up, but the little movement that I did to my leg caused me to cry out. I couldn't do it. The world began to blur. _No. You can't go into shock _I told myself. But it was too late. The last thing I remember was thinking: _I'm sorry Dad. I failed you. I'm so, so sorry._

Then the world went black.

Well, blacker.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

I saw my nephew pass out and I immediately rushed to his aid. He was out cold and was heavily bleeding from multiple gashes on his face. I could hear Misako mumbling: "_Oh my poor baby..." _I held my sleeve to his face to try to stop the bleeding, to no avail.

The Overlord cackled, now resting back on the Garmatron. "You were always so…green." The next thing I knew, a cannon was flying in our direction. There was nowhere to run.

Out of nowhere, the Bounty flew into the shot, preventing it from hitting us. I heard saying: "I might not be able to fight, but I can fly!" He abandoned the ship as it crashed on its side. "That went well" he said as he fixed his now crooked glasses.

"ENOUGH!" All eyes turned to the Overlord. "We don't need to waste our time with their pestering! We'll go to Ninjago City, to finish this, one and for all!" A portal opened up at the shore, and the Garmatron started to roll inside. "If they leave, that means we'll be stuck here with no way to get back!" cried Kai. The rest of my students rushed to the portal, with Kai in the lead. "I'm there! I'm there!" he yelled as he leaped in. Just as Kai would have gotten inside, the portal closed, and Kai landed on the sand.

The ninja rushed over to us. "Is Lloyd alright?" Kai asked, clearly worried. "I don't know" I honestly replied. "But, he has to be ok! He has to!" He protested. The others just stood back, unsure of what to do. I still held my sleeve up to the bleeding gashes. Kai knelt down by his side, shaking his shoulder. "C'mon kiddo. Please. Wake up." "Um, is he, well, um" Jay stuttered. "Yes Jay. He's alive. Not breathing very well, but alive." Relief washed over his face. "Good." "Well we gotta help him!" screeched Kai. "Kai. Relax. He's a tough kid. He'll pull through" reassured Cole. Kai didn't look convinced.

**Later…**

Eventually, me and Kai were the only ones left that were awake. We built a small fire, which was now only embers and smoke, and found some leftovers from the now wrecked Bounty to eat. We saved some for my nephew. "Sensei?" I turned to my distressed pupil. "Lloyd's gonna be ok, right?" I sighed and looked at his pale body. I was holding him so his head rested against my chest and he leaned against me. He was breathing slowly but surely. The gashes finally stopped bleeding, but they looked horrible. "We'll see" I answered. Kai yawned. "Get some rest. I'll wake you when Lloyd wakes up." He looked hesitant, but eventually nodded and rested on the sand.

A few minutes later, I heard a soft moan. I looked at my nephew, as he slowly came to and rubbed his eyes. Blinking a few times, he took in his bearings and looked at me. "Ugh, what happened?" I smiled at him, relieved. "Hello my nephew. You were fighting the Overlord when he hit you in the chest and threw you across the shore. You hit your head and fainted. You've been unconscious for about 4 hours. You feel ok?" He sighed, still resting against me. "Ok, now I remember. And I've been better, to put it simply." He tried to move his leg, and then winced. "What happened?" I asked. "My leg, I crushed it when I landed. It hurts like hell." I moved in front of him to get a better look at it. I rolled up his pant leg, and the so little movement that did caused him to cry out. It looked swollen, and I could tell he was in a lot of pain. Gently and carefully, I rolled the pant leg back down and sat back next to him. We'll bandage all his wounds in the morning, for now we all need rest.

I heard a faint gurgle, and I turned to Lloyd, who blushed. I grabbed some of the leftover chicken and handed it to him. Immediately he began eating it. I felt bad for him, he's only 11, minus the whole Tomorrow's Tea incident. And yet, the fate of the world rests in his hands, he's wounded and has to do it alone.

Soon the chicken was gone, and the two of us just stared out at the sea, the thin line being the only visible part of Ninjago. "Sensei?" I looked at him. "What if I can't do it?" He looked to be on the brink of tears. "Let's not dwell on that, there is still a little hope." Lloyd, looking unsatisfied, turned his attention back to the sea. I remembered that Kai wanted to see him, so I quietly walked over to my sleeping student.

"Kai." He grunted. "Kai, Lloyd's up." He shot up and looked around, a smile erupting on his face. Kai bounded over to him and attacked him in a brotherly hug, causing me to grin. Lloyd recoiled, and then clutched his chest. "Sorry Kai. I would hug you longer, but, it hurts too much." "Hey it's ok. You've been through a lot. I'm here for you buddy." This caused my nephew to smile, followed by a yawn. Kai pulled Lloyd towards him and Lloyd rested his head against him. "You don't mind?" "Not at all kiddo. Get some rest." With that, my nephew closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep.

**_Rise of the Spinjitzu Master! _**

**Sensei Wu's POV: **

I slowly awoke on the shore of the Dark Island, surprised to see , Zane and Misako up as well. "Morning Wu" she said. "We the only ones up?" I asked. "Yes we are. I'm not surprised though that the rest of them are still asleep." I stood up and looked at my students and nephew. Lloyd was still sleeping on Kai, with Kai underneath, holding him in a hug. Jay was snoring his head off, and Cole was kicking Jay in his sleep to get him to stop.

Zane smiled when he saw me up. "We found some berries for breakfast" he said and gave me a handful. The morning was peaceful, with no sounds besides the waves lapping on the shore and Jay's occasional snore. If it weren't for the circumstances, I would enjoy this. But, the fate of the world rests in our hands. I can only imagine what my nephew is thinking right now, it's a lot of pressure for a boy his age. I continued to dwell on this as we regrouped and sat down for some breakfast.

**Later…**

For the past hour, the 4 of us were making small talk, but there wasn't much to say. For most of the time, we sat through awkward quiet moments. I felt like I should say something, but I decided against it.

I heard a yawn, and I saw Cole waking up. "Morning" he groggily greeted. "Ugh, is there a way to get mouth of lightning to shut up?" Personally, I don't blame him for wanting to take such action. "We all need our sleep Cole" I eventually pointed out.

A few minutes later, Kai began to wake up. He yawned, stretched, and noticed Lloyd asleep in his arms. Grinning, he carefully separated himself from him and walked over. "Hey guys" he half-heartily said. "Should we wake everyone else up?" asked Cole. I thought about this. Figuring that we needed to have a discussion as a team, I nodded. I wished that the final battle wasn't today.

**Kai's POV:**

I walked over to Lloyd; almost sorry I had to wake him up. He looked so calm and relaxed while he slept. I kneeled down next to him and gently shook his shoulder. "Lloyd. It's morning. Wake up kiddo." Lloyd grunted and opened his sky blue eyes. He saw me, and smiled. "Hey Kai" he weakly said. I walked back over to the others, expecting Lloyd to follow, but he didn't. I turned around, and saw him struggling to get up. I rushed over to him and offered a hand, which he gladly accepted. The second he put his right leg on the sand, he winced and balanced on one foot. "Something wrong?" I asked. "Ugh. My leg has been killing me ever since I blacked out last night." I put an arm around him to give him support as he limped over to everyone else.

"Sheesh Lloyd, you look like you came straight out of a crime scene or something" said Jay, now wide awake with his mouth full of berries. "Thanks" he sarcastically responded. "Well, maybe we can fix that. Come with me, let's patch you up." gestured us to follow. I helped Lloyd over to him. I noticed that he grunted if too much pressure was put on his leg, so I tried to go slow.

Eventually we reached him and he brought out a first aid kit. Carefully, I helped Lloyd sit down next to me on the sand. brought out a roll of gauze and some medicine. "This should help those nasty gashes of yours." He sat down next to him, rubbed some of the medicine on his hands and gently rubbed some of the soothing remedy on Lloyd's face. He sighed in relief. "That feel better kiddo?" I asked. He nodded. After it was rubbed in grabbed the gauze and placed it on the gashes. Lloyd grimaced when he applied pressure.

Then he moved on to his leg. Julien examined it and touched some areas, trying to see where the injured part was. Eventually he pressed on an area below the kneecap, and Lloyd cried out and recoiled in pain. "Yep, I think we found it" Julien said without much enthusiasm. I held Lloyd's hand as he leaned against me, trying to soothe him whenever he felt pain, which was often. As Julien bandaged his leg, the others were watching, obviously down in the dumps. The thing that was on my mind was, Lloyd could barely walk. How on Earth was he supposed to take on the Overlord if he can't walk?

While Julien bandaged, Lloyd managed to ask: "Can I still fight?" 's expression darkened as he continued to wrap the bandage. "I'm sorry. Your leg's broken; it will take weeks to fully heal. The best thing to do is rest it and stay off of it as often as possible." Lloyd looked shocked, and I felt sorry for the poor kid. I've broken bones before, they are immensely painful. "But, we don't have weeks-AGH!" He shrieked in pain and jerked back. I held him close and comfortingly rubbed his back as Julien finished bandaging. When he pulled the edge of the ACE bandage over his leg and attached it, he gave his leg a comforting pat and helped Lloyd stand up. Again, he winced, and I again put an arm around him to help him. We slowly walked (or limped) back to the others.

The others were sitting on the shore. I helped Lloyd sit down and he crawled over to his mom and curled up with her. She gave a sad smile and kissed his forehead. "You'll be ok sweetie" she whispered.

"I don't get it Sensei. The prophecy said that the green ninja would defeat the dark lord." I angrily threw a rock in the sea. "Why didn't we win?" Sensei closed his eyes, sighed, and softly answered: "I don't know." Jay looked especially surprised. "But, you're SENSEI! You always know! You have a long white beard!" This caused him and his nephew to chuckle. I knew there must be something to learn. "There must be some, message to learn. A lesson, a word of wisdom. Just, a word? Something!" I anxiously protested. Sensei sighed once again. "For once, I'm afraid there is nothing to learn. Only that, evil has won."

It was then that Lloyd spoke up. "Wait. You guys are the ones that taught me to never give up, never back down, and never run from a fight. Is that what you want?" He had a point. But, before I could say anything, Jay spoke up. "Well, it's pretty hopeless. We're stuck here, Bounty's broken, your leg's broken, and we have no way to get back." "Well, yeah, but it's not totally hopeless! C'mon, miracles happen. Besides, the first spinjitzu master passed his elemental powers, to us. Of all people, bunch of kids! There must have been a reason he chose us. We'll think of something."

Everyone smiled, hope filling us all. "You always were the most optimistic of all of us kiddo" Cole pointed out. Lloyd grinned. Zane looked towards the sky, and then beamed. "Look!" I obeyed, and saw the falcon. "FOLLOW THAT BIRD!" I shouted. Things were looking up.

**Lloyd's POV:**

I sat on Kai's fire robot as it hiked up the mountain. The falcon would stop every once in a while to let us catch up. Eventually, we reached the top of the mountain; strangely back to the temple of light.

Zane looked as confused as I am. "He brought us back to the temple of light. I do not understand, we've already been here!" And yet, we still walked inside. Mom pulled out a scroll, which looked like the other's elemental blades sticking out of the wall. "Hey, what's that?" Jay pointed out a small slot in one of the pillars rising from the floor. "There's one more, over there" Sensei showed another pillar with a slot. Then I realized, there was one for everyone. In rapid succession, they put the blades in, and I soon felt rumbling underneath my feet. I hopped on my good leg out of the way, to reveal a massive golden mec.

Mom looked at the machine in awe. "It is the fighting suit that the first spinjitzu master used, when he battled the Overlord!" Wait, my grandfather used this thing? Explains how awesome it looks. Cole looked like he just got a triple chocolate layer cake: really really happy. "You mean the first spinjitzu master once sat here? Get out of here! How do you make this thing work?" He said as he sat in the chair. "Sadly, I think time has done her in. She's only a relic now." looked disappointed as he pointed this fact out. Sensei smiled and looked at me. "If it worked for the first spinjitzu master, perhaps it will work for the next spinjitzu master." I grinned. "It's worth a shot" I said as I limped over to it. Carefully, I climbed up until I reached the chair. Then I swung myself in. "Hey, watch out" Cole exclaimed as he jumped off.

I fiddled with the controls. "Hm. Nothing." I glumly said. Suddenly, the mec jerked and I let out a: "Whoa!" It glowed bright gold as it crouched, stood up, and pulled out a blazing sword. The guys shouted praise as I smiled, in total awe as I sat. _Grandfather, thanks. If you can hear me, I promise I'll try my hardest to win. In your honor. This I swear. _As I thought this, Sensei asked: "How does the leg feel now?" I found the button that activated the rocket boosters. Wait, ROCKET BOOSTERS?! I pressed it, as the mec's right leg lifted off. "Stonger!" I answered. Mom smiled at me. "Well, I know how he is getting to Ninjago, but what about us?" As soon as she said that, I heard a roar in the distance. "I know that sound! It's our dragon!" Jay shouted. Sensei stroked his beard as he said happily: "I believe, we just found our way off this rock."

**Time lapse!**

I piloted the mec towards Ninjago, determination coursing through me. Now that I have this, I don't even need to worry about my leg anymore, though I am grateful for for bandaging it and saving my life. If it weren't for him blocking the cannon, I would be dead right now. At least, that's what Mom told me, since I was unconscious at the time.

"I see Ninjago, we're not far away!" I heard Kai shout. "You sure that's Ninjago?" Cole uncertainly asked. I looked at Ninjago, or at least what WAS Ninjago. Everything was grey and black. Dark clouds swirled above the city, and it was bleak and depressing to look at. I don't see why anyone would want life to be like this. Why would anyone want the world to be so evil? At least Dad didn't want it that way at first, the Devourer made him like the way he is.

Dad…Oh man every time I think about how I let him down, it takes all my strength and willpower to hold back tears. He told me to stay strong, and what did I do? Pass out and break my leg. His last memory of me is letting him down. I failed him. I'll never forgive myself, if I even live through this. But, I'm doing this for him, and my grandfather.

The dragon, driven by Sensei, hovered next to a large building in the center of Ninjago City. Mom looked bewildered. "The Garmatron, it's, turned into a fortress?" Oh. That's what that is. shared the confusion. "But where's the Overlord?"

I turned my mec to the ground, the dragon right behind me. Softly landing, I looked at the fortress, and when I saw the being at the top, I gulped and got vertigo. Brick. Just, brick.

The guys peered over the corner of the building. Obviously I couldn't, while this thing is awesome, with the glow it gives off, you might as well tape a sign on my back saying: HEY! WE'RE THE GOOD GUYS! SHOOT US! Kai looked grim. "He's turned everyone evil." "And now they're helping his cause." Says Cole as they went back to us. "I can't wait to see the look on the Overlord's face when he gets a load of us!"

A roar in the distance interrupted him. The creature at the top of the fortress fired a blob of darkness at us. Jay seemed as if he would puke, and I don't blame him one bit. "Oh…my…goodness. Sweet mother may I…" Kai, with reflexes almost as good as my own, shouted: "LOOK OUT JAY!" The blob was going to hit him, but Jay luckily understood and got out of the way. We all looked at the attacker. "The metamorphosis is complete! The Overlord has changed to his original form." Thanks Mom. That helps.

Cole was in deep thought. "But we can't fly up there…" Sensei stepped forward. "We need to draw their fire to help Lloyd use the mec against the Overlord." Cole beamed. "We hear you, loud and clear." I looked at the Overlord. This is it. I'm all alone. Time to fulfill my destiny. It's hard to process the fact that the final battle is today. With that in mind, Kai and the others climbed on the dragon. Kai looked at me, and gave a soft smile. He mouthed: _Good luck kiddo. Be safe. _Reinvigorated by his support, I saluted back to him, a smile stretching across my face. It may seem odd to smile at such a serious moment, but Kai has that effect on me. I turned around, and charged into battle.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

I'm sure my pupils were saddened to see my nephew go off alone. I knew I was. But, it is his destiny to face the Overlord alone. We are not to help him. They have already done their part to protect him until this moment. Now it's Lloyd's turn to protect himself.

I launched the dragon into the air and slowly flied to the fortress. Misako's eyes were red and puffy from crying. It must be so hard to see your son go into battle, knowing that he may not come out alive. It was difficult enough for us to let him go alone without us, but, he's her son. She was just recently reunited with him and now, I can hardly imagine thinking of what is going through her head right now.

The stone army was waiting for us. General Kozu was in front of the fortress, telling his army to wait. Any moment now. All of a sudden, General Kozu shouted: "NOW!" Cannons, flaming spheres, knives and swords began flying towards us. My students began screaming, and Kai shouted to me: PULL UP! QUICK PULL UP!" I did, and just in time.

Meanwhile, I saw Lloyd enter the fortress from the ground. He was doing well at first subduing the army, when I saw a corrupted Nya shoot him down with her turret.

"He's been hit!" I shouted. Misako gasped, tears running down her face. "We need to protect him!" I lowered the dragon and my students jumped off to fight. To distract Nya, I flew the dragon up in the air as a target for her. She fired a full scale assault at us, and our plan worked well at first, when a shot clipped the dragon's tail. "We're hit!" Misako shouted. "We'll have to land" I grimly said. "This is as far as we can go." And so, I flew the dragon to a blind spot, but we could still see the fight.

It wasn't a pleasant sight. The ninja were fighting off the army, but with difficulty. We were outnumbered, and the odds were against us. They had some injuries, some gashes, but nothing major. Lloyd looked unscathed, besides the wounds he had from before. I began to feel concerned. Sure, they can take care of themselves, but in a way I feel responsible for them. They've grown to feel like family to me, and I can't imagine a day without them. I hated seeing them hurt or upset. And besides, I know they look up to me for advice, which warms my heart. "We need to go back and save them" I said. Misako shook her head. "There are too many."

Suddenly, Misako pointed at the Overlord. "Look! His helmet must've fallen off during his transformation." "What does that matter?" asked Julien, confused. "He who wears the helmet controls the army." Now I was confused. "What?" "It was written in the scrolls. What if that helmet is more than just the key to the clock? What if that helmet is the reason Garmadon controlled the stone army in the first place? If we can get to that helmet, we can stop the army." I smiled. "Then what are we waiting for?" asked Julien. And with that, we flew off.

**Kai's POV:**

Me and the others were fighting the army, to some success. I got a blade to the head, and now I had a gash running down my forehead. Cole had a gash on his shoulder, and Jay, well, he was doing pretty well! All I cared about was protecting Lloyd. For a kid who can't walk, he was kicking butt! Every once in a while he winced and cried out in pain, but he seemed to be doing ok.

"I know we've always drawn crowds, but this is ridiculous!" joked Jay. I was annoyed. "How can you be making jokes at a time like this?!" "Hey, if I'm going down, I might as well go down laughing!" Zane nodded. "If this how we're going to go down, I'm proud to be doing it alongside my brothers. Cole smiled. "Hear hear."

Another blob of darkness flew down towards us. "ICE!" shouted Zane as he created a wall to block it. "Nice job Zane!" praised Jay. Nya began firing at us with her turret. "FIRE!" I shouted as I blocked the shot. The sky exploded with light and we shielded our eyes. Since we grew used to the dark, it was so weird to have light just exploded in front of us. But, it was also nice. Nya growled and disappeared.

Unfortunately, the warrior's numbers got bigger and bigger, and soon, we were surrounded and knocked on our backs. Jay gulped. "We're doomed guys!" General Kozu looked pleased. He and the warriors raised their swords, and I closed my eyes and braced myself for pain, when nothing happened. Slowly, I cracked open one eye and saw that they were frozen.

General Kozu suddenly unfroze, and I readied my sword, when he turned away from me. "ALL HAIL THE BROWN NINJA! WHAT DO YOU COMMAND?" Wait, what? "Brown ninja?" asked Jay. The dragon softly descended to reveal Dareth, with the Helmet of Shadows. "Well guys, looks like we all know who's in command now!" Cole beamed. "The helmet controls the army! Well done!" Jay looked ecstatic. "That means now we stand a fighting chance!" Lloyd looked to the top of the Garmatron. "I need to get to the top of that fortress." He looked back at his injured leg and frowned. "I may not be able to get there by myself, but with your help I can face him!" The 5 of us smiled sadly. Now it was time. The final battle has now truly begun. We circled Lloyd and collided our swords above his head and shouted: "NINJAAAA-GO!" Dareth stared at us in awe. "Where'd you get those? I want one!" I was about to tell him off, but I saw the hope in his eyes, and gave in. "You too brown ninja. Today, you're one of us. Shall we do it once more, just for old time's sake?" I said as he hugged my sword to his chest. "NINJAA-GO!"

Confidently, he turned to his army. "Army! About face!" They obeyed. "Stone army, go!" And they charged up the steps, only to be shot down by Nya.

Jay and Cole each took Lloyd's side and helped him up the steps, going at a pace that's quick, but Lloyd could keep up. Before I could follow, Dareth stopped me and handed me my blade. "Better take this back." And I climbed up the steps.

**Lloyd's POV:**

I quickly hopped up the steps on my good leg, with Kai and Zane ahead of me. Sometimes, my leg would hit the edge of the step, and sharp pains would shoot through me, causing me to wince. Despite this, I pushed ahead.

We were about halfway up when out of nowhere, a blob of darkness hit Cole, narrowly missing me. Cole doubled over and groaned. "Cole! C'mon, get up!" I can't lose him, not when there's so much on the line. Besides, he's one of my best friends! He looked up at me, now boasting a dark aura. "Go! Go on without me!" I was going to protest this, but Jay continued to climb up with me by his side.

The same happened with Jay. He pushed me out of the way, and darkness smothered his body. I called his name as the others turned and looked at Jay in horror. "Get out of the way!" mouth of lightning commanded. Kai rushed to my side, along with Zane. "Don't look! Just keep climbing!" said Kai. I had no choice but to obey.

We turned the corner and I continued hobbling up awkwardly. "By my calculations, the odds are that only one of us is going to make it!" Zane worriedly said. "Then let's beat the odds!" I declared, when I heard a growl behind me.

I turned around to see a corrupted Jay and Cole, pointing their blades at the three of us. Brick. Zane walked over to them with his blade drawn. "Go! I'll hold them back!"

Kai and I speed walked up the fortress, only to be interrupted by Nya, shooting dark matter at us, mostly me. "I'm gonna draw her fire, so you can make it to the top." I gasped. "No, wait! We can do this together!" Kai shook his head. "You're the green ninja, this is your fight!" And with that, he attacked the turret. I limped up the steps. Nya turned to face me. "You're hurt, you hardly stand a chance!" Kai leaped and knocked her out of the seat. "Go Lloyd!" he shouted. I nodded and continued up the steps.

It was difficult and painful, but I eventually made it to the top. The Overlord had my back to me, firing at innocent civilians, turning them into puppets of darkness. It took all that was left of me to control my anger. Before I got his attention, I silently said: _Grandfather, please give me guidance. I need your help, and I'll make you proud. I promise._

Glaring, I donned my mask and shouted: "I have come here, to fight you!" Oy vey that sounded cheesy. Ugh. The Overlord chuckled. "You're in no shape to fight. It's over. Evil wins!" Despite me being in no condition to fight being 100% true, I continued my bold attitude and said: "A ninja never quits!" He laughed, which was scary sounding. I pushed all my fears aside. The world is counting on me. "You don't even have a sword!" I managed a sly smile. "I don't need a sword." And I conjured a ball of energy. "Then all I have to say is…goodbye." He took a big breath, and shot dark fire at my shield.

I continued holding the protection, daring to look over the edge of the fortress, realizing that I was dangerously close to falling off. I charged all my power, all my strength, all of my light, and fired. I rose in the air, feeling light course through my veins. I looked at myself, and gasped noticing that my kimono was now bright gold. The Overlord looked surprised at first, and then continued with his menacing glare.

Now floating above the ground, I punched and kicked, never feeling more powerful. I kept this up until I pushed him off the edge of the fortress. While I had time, I activated my golden dragon, which roared at the blackened sky. The Overlord hovered next to his home base. "You cannot defeat me! Where there is light, there will always be shadow!" This only made me feel more confident. "Unless my light is bright enough!" I willed the dragon forward and attacked. I spun towards the ground, feeling slightly nauseous. Then shot back up.

The Overlord was absolutely furious. Glaring at me with those menacing eyes, he spun around me, engulfing me in a sphere of darkness. I couldn't see anything, and I began to panic. I fired my powers at the barrier, but my efforts were proven useless. I was trapped. I saw the Overlord, well, at least part of him. I could only see his head. Is it me, or did he seem bigger than before? He howled with laughter. Before I could react, he lunged, and I was in his mouth. Ew.

Trying to remain calm, I closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and called upon my inner power. I summoned all my strength, all my light, all my energy. It took every ounce of concentration and strength I had left, but soon I felt so much power flow to my hands. Weakened and dazed, I used the last amount of energy I had and shot it at the Overlord. The world engulfed in light, and I collapsed to the ground.

**Misako's POV:**

When I saw my son disappear in darkness, I choked out a sob. No, he can't lose. I can't lose my only son. He's my pride and joy, my sweet, brave, strong little boy. He can't die. Right?

I looked at Wu with tears welling in my eyes. He was already crying. "Wu…" I managed to choke out. He looked at me and held my hand. The sphere was still there, containing my son. He's been in there a long time, and my worry increased. We were sitting on the dragon, watching the action.

Suddenly, light exploded in front of us, and I beamed and turned to Wu, who had a proud smile on his face. I hugged him. "He did it" I whispered.

The only thing left of the Garmatron was a large crater. We landed the dragon and I helped off as he said: "Is this really happening? We did it?!" Dareth appeared behind us. "You did it! I did it! Heck, who didn't do it?!" He was still wearing the Helmet of Shadows, which could take some getting used to. Kai smiled. "Yeah. But, where's Lloyd?"

The jovial mood vanished. We looked left and right, but didn't see him. "You don't think he…well…you know…" Jay stuttered. I shook my head. I refused to believe he was gone.

We heard a rumble coming from the debris, and I heard a soft groan. Hope filled me. Son? I turned around. It wasn't Lloyd, but it was someone I instantly recognized. "Garmadon?" He looked up at me and smiled, then nodded solemnly. I couldn't believe it, no more venom, no more evil, just, my wonderful husband. I ran and threw my arms around him, crying happy tears. After all these years…It's been so long…and now…here he is in my arms.

"Brother?" Wu looked astonished and ecstatic. "Wu!" Garmadon separated himself from me, much to my dismay, and ran over to his younger brother. "Good to have you back brother" Wu said, never once his smile fading. "Good to be back."

Garmadon looked left and right. "Where's Lloyd?" We gasped, remembering. "Everyone, search the crater, he has to be here somewhere!" Kai commanded. The 9 of us dispersed, trying to find my MIA son. My husband, Wu and I looked under rubble, desperately hoping to see him, only to be saddened even more when we didn't.

"Guys! I found him!" we heard Kai shout. Instantly the rest of us bolted to where he was. When I saw my son, I let out a small cry.

He was unconscious, and had a bloody wound across his chest. His head lolled limply on his chest, and his golden kimono was covered with dirt. Kai sat next to him and took a pulse, and then the expression on his face darkened. Then he shook his head. "We're too late" he said with tears in his eyes. Everyone bowed their heads in respect. I collapsed in my husband's arms as I sobbed. He held me while the rest of us mourned. Cole turned to us. "Your son died a hero. You should be proud." I looked up and nodded. "He was so young" murmured Jay. Wu walked over to Lloyd's body. "At least my nephew died peacefully" he said as he kneeled next to him stroking his hair. I'll never forget you son, none of us will. **(I hate sad endings, so read on please! It gets better!)**

**Lloyd's POV:**

My eyes fluttered open and I looked around, confused. The scenery constantly shifted. I looked at myself, noticing that my body was almost transparent. The sudden realization struck like thunder. _I'm dead._

Trying to let that sink in, I heard a voice behind me say: "I'm afraid so." I jumped and turned around. Standing behind me was a man that looked a lot like Sensei and Dad. I cocked my head. "Who are you?" He chuckled. "Lloyd, think about it. Who do I resemble to you?" I gasped. "You're my grandfather."

Nodding his head, he smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you, but I wanted it to be anywhere but here." I looked at the ground. "You died too soon. It's a shame. Perhaps I could give you a second chance at life. Then maybe the next time you see me, the time will be much farther from now." Confused, I managed to ask: "How? I'm dead. Besides, why aren't you doing it to yourself?" Still smiling at me, he answered: "Because I've already lived a full life. You still have so many things left in your life to look forward to. You're only 11. And, I can tell you right now your friends and family are devastated about your death." Grandpa walked over to me and embraced me, and I did the same. "I'm very proud of you. You'll go on to do great things Lloyd. Just remember, I'll always love you." I nodded. He turned to face me. I asked: "Will I ever see you again?" Sighing, he said: "In time, but I'm keeping an eye on you Lloyd, just remember that." Grandpa winked. And everything vanished.

**Garmadon's POV:**

Normally, I'm not the type of person to cry. But when Kai announced that my son was dead, I immediately began to cry for the first time in years. I just became purified, and reunited with my wife and brother, but my son never got to see me. I wished I could hold him one last time, have a moment with him, to let him see I've changed. And yet, I have never been so proud. He won the final battle and freed me from my curse. I want to tell him that, somehow.

Suddenly, Wu gasped. I turned to him. "What?" He grinned. "Lloyd." Kai rolled his eyes, still crying. "Yeah, he's dead. What about it?" Wu shook his head. "No, look!" I turned to my son's body, wondering what the heck he was talking about, when Lloyd stirred. Misako beamed. "Oh my goodness, Lloyd?" He moaned, and then I saw sky blue eyes blinking uncertainly. He rubbed his head and asked: "Ugh. Hell what happened?" Then he noticed us staring at him. "Whoa. Did I miss something?"

I laughed. He was alive. My son was alive! I could hardly believe it. Wu smiled and hugged him. Lloyd, still looking confused, however gladly accepted the hug. Cole stared at him in disbelief. "How is that possible? You were dead." Lloyd looked at Cole and cocked his head. "What? What are you talking about?" We all stared at him. Misako spoke up. "Sweetie, you died. You don't remember? You were dead." Lloyd looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. "I think I would've remembered that." Wu looked at him. "Do you remember the final battle, at least?" "Well, yeah, it's kinda hard to forget that!" Kai was elated. "Alright kiddo, time for some hugging for Kai!" Lloyd laughed and warmly hugged his best friend. After they separated, Kai offered a hand and Lloyd stood up, and then winced. I noticed the bandages wrapped around his leg, and the bandages on his head. _I'll ask him later. For now, I'll enjoy this._

Then Lloyd noticed me. He looked incredulous at first. "Dad?" I smiled and nodded. A wide grin erupted across his face and he attacked me in a hug. "It really is you" he whispered into my kimono. I embraced him back, not caring about the blood that was getting on my kimono. My son was here, in my arms, and my family was whole again. I continued holding Lloyd, waiting for the sad moment when I would need to let him go.

**Still Garmadon's POV:**

After the happy reunion, all of us celebrated in town. The mayor threw a big party in our honor, thanking us for saving Ninjago.

I was helping Lloyd get around, since he told me how he broke his leg and cut his head. It just made me hate the Overlord more. The ninja were telling me all of the things they did together since I left the Bounty when Lloyd was kidnapped by the serpentine. I was greatly impressed.

Kai was in the middle of telling me about the time they were pursuing the snakes on the bus on the way to Ourobourous, when Jay came up holding cotton candy, and Nya's hand. Ah, young love. "Hey guys, who wants heaven on a stick?" Lloyd shot up his free hand, as the other was around my back, and shouted: "ME!" along with Cole and Kai. Jay, now with his mouthful of cotton candy, also pointed out: "They're also gonna set off fireworks and the best place to see them is in the park." Cole smiled. "Then what are we waiting for?" And so, they set off.

"We'll get your mother and Wu first" I told him. He looked at me and nodded. "I think Mom was on Main Street." He said. I nodded.

After a few minutes of walking (or limping, take your pick) we found Wu, also with cotton candy. I waved him over, and he soon joined us. Lloyd smirked. "You too Sensei?" Wu blushed. "I suppose it was hard to refuse."

Later, we found Misako, right where Lloyd said she was, Main Street. We told her about the fireworks, and soon, we were lying on the grass, looking at the stars.

Lloyd was on the end next to me, and Misako was in-between me and Wu. Misako was showing us the constellations. "And that's Orion's belt. See the three stars over there lined up in a row?" She pointed to the east. Lloyd's hand shot up. "I see the big dipper!" We laughed. "And there's the Ursa Major. See how it looks like a bear?" "That's cool! Is there one that looks like our dragon?" asked Lloyd. Misako chuckled. "No son, just the bear." Lloyd had this mischievous grin. "Not yet anyways."

The night sky suddenly exploded with greens and blues. "Sweet! Fireworks are starting!" exclaimed an enthusiastic Lloyd. The sky became a rainbow of colors. Lloyd rested his head against my chest, and I smiled and enveloped him in a hug, as the sky turned as beautiful as our future.

**STILL Garmadon's POV:**

By the time the show was over, the ninja and Lloyd were fast asleep. Lloyd was snoring peacefully, using my chest as a pillow. "Can you believe the final battle is over?" Wu said, looking at the stars. I shook my head. Misako smiled. "And to think we woke up this morning on the dark island. What an emotional roller-coaster!" I laughed. Wu left to throw some things away and Misako skootched closer to me. "I'm so proud of him" she whispered. "Me too" I added. Truth be told, words cannot describe how proud I was. Now that the battle is over, we can finally enjoy ourselves.

I looked at my son, who was still sleeping. I kissed his forehead, causing him to smile a little in his sleep. This is my son, the savior of Ninjago. Let's just say, I'm a lucky guy, to be with him, his friends, my wife, and my brother. The future is looking, bright.

A.N: YAY! I finished! Did you guys like it?! I promise I'll work on the little green hero this week and post chapter 10 by Friday. Writers block is finally gone! PRAISE BE! J Anyway, have a good day/night!


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